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Minutes for the Infrastructure Committee meeting on August 4, 2003.
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Infrastructure Committee Minutes
Monday, August 4, 2003
5:15 PM
Members Present: Dover, Farmer, Moore, Street.
Others present were: Mayor Brodell, Street Superintendent Gene Barnett, City Engineer Assistant Teddy Hooton, Public Works Director Claude Martin, City Planner Glenn Batten, Alderman Jim Hargis, Alderman Tim McCall, City Clerk Donna Jackson, and Keith Inman, Jonesboro Sun.
ACTING CHAIR INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE
Councilman Dover moved, seconded by Councilman Street nominating Councilman Farmer as acting chair for the Infrastructure Committee due to the vacancy by the resignation of Mr. Paul Copeland. All vote aye.
ACTING CHAIR FOR GENERAL AND BUILDING SUBCOMMITTEE
Councilman Moore moved, seconded by Councilman Street nominating Councilman Dover as the Subcommittee Chair for General and Building. All voted aye.
MINUTES APPROVED
Councilman Moore moved, seconded by Councilman Street to approve Infrastructure Minuets for the following dates: February 6th, March 3rd, March 13th, May 19th, June 2nd, and July 7th of 2003, pending any changes. All voted aye.
RECOMMENDATION OF VALLEY VIEW DRIVE ORDINANCE
Councilman Street moved, seconded by Councilman Moore to recommend to the full council an ordinance waiving bids on a 12’ X 8’ concrete culvert for Valley View Drive with the funds to come from the drainage fund, as recommended by Mayor Brodell. Public Works Director, Claude Martin explained the joint of two tanker cars broke loose causing an emergency situation at Valley View. He also stated Mr. Mike Cameron had agreed to allow the city to use a special ordered culvert which he had structured for work at Shadow Ridge. This would allow repairs at Valley View to be done prior to school starting. All voted aye.
RECOMMENDATION OF THREE ORDINANCES
Councilman Street moved, seconded by Councilman Dover recommending three ordinances to the full council. The first ordinance recommended being the abandonment of a drainage easement at Lacoste Drive in the RidgePointe Country Club. Mr. Martin had approved the abandonment. The second was to amend the Jonesboro Code of Ordinances § 14.44.02 requiring verification by design professionals for completion of site improvements. Approval recommendation was made by Mayor Brodell. Lastly was an ordinance amending § 14.44.03 (b) requiring a bond be posted to ensure completion prior to a temporary certification of occupancy. Approval recommendation was made by Mayor Brodell. Mr. Batten stated this would be for multi-family and commercial property only. All voted aye.
MATA - MATTHEWS PROJECT
Discussion was held regarding the status of drainage work for 1st Baptist Church. Mayor Brodell was under the impression that Councilman Dover had made a motion to send an appropriation to the full council for the drainage work. However, the committee minutes of July 7, 2003 stated the engineering department would do a cost analysis and bring it back to the Infrastructure Committee for approval. Mayor Brodell stated the cost analysis has not yet been done. It was determined that the Infrastructure Committee would made a recommendation to the full council once the cost analysis was provided.
Councilman Street moved, seconded by Councilman Dover approving the extension of 100 feet of 7’ X 4’ culvert for immediate safety reasons due to an open ditch on Roland Street at a cost of approximately $3,100.00, as recommended by Mayor Brodell. Mayor Brodell reported that Mr. Martin had met with St. Bernard’s in order to determine where the water will run. Mr. Martin explained the water will have to flow from Matthews, across Washington and the railroad tracks in to Turtle Creek. Councilman Farmer stated there was an immediate safety issue referring to the street caving in. Mr. Martin explained pipe would have to be put back in to the project. Mr. Teddy Hooton further explained that 500 feet of 7’ X 4’ of box culvert was removed from the original project. Questions were raised as to why it was deleted from the original MATA project. No response was given.
TRAFFIC RESOLUTION RECOMMENDED
Councilman Moore moved, seconded by Councilman Street to recommend to the full council the following traffic signs for the August 18th council meeting: “No Parking” on the east side of Gilmore Drive from Phillips Drive to the north driveway for the Jubilation Club. “STOP” signs on S. Culberhouse Road at the Union Pacific Railroad tracts, south. All voted aye.
DISCUSSION OF OTHER BUSINESS
Resolution for construction of curb, gutters and sidewalks by the Arkansas State Highway Transportation Department. Mayor Brodell stated that resolution would be pulled from the agenda as recommended by the City Attorney.
Drainage Plan Status (Public Hearing)- Mr. Martin stated the public hearing was positive with 75 to 100 people attending. Questions were asked regarding the finalized priority list for drainage projects. Mr. Martin responded saying even though survey work had been done on the most urgent areas they were waiting on a recommendation from Carter/Burgess.
Audit Review of Street Department - Councilman Farmer provided a list of recommendations that had been reviewed by the Finance and Administration. He explained the list was a guideline and if anyone wanted to add to the list they should contact Councilman Jim Hargis.
Nettleton Mata Project Status - Mr. Martin stated they have started the clearing with CWL starting the relocation of utilities.
Concrete Contract Status - It was determined that the contract for concrete had lapsed in March and questions were raised as to why it had not been rebid. Mayor Brodell stated it was because Councilman Moore wanted it bid out by the project. Councilman Moore explained he had made a recommendation that all the curb cuts for the ADA requirements be made into one package so it would be more cost effective for the city. Councilman Tim McCall stated he was told that the City Council was the hold up for not having the sidewalks completed and ask for an explanation. Councilman Moore questioned why a recommendation to combine the ADA curb cuts would result in all work (general sidewalk repair and flatwork) coming to a standstill since March. Mayor Brodell stated that Jim McKinnon and Suzanne Hackney would be providing a report on work to be done for 114 to 130 curb cuts and some sidewalks in the following council meeting. Councilman Dover questioned Mayor Brodell as to what in the new procedures would prohibit the everyday operations of the city which is the Mayor’s responsibility. Councilman Dover stated the only thing adopted by the Council was an ordinance requiring all contracts over $10,000.00 must go to the full council. Councilman Dover stated maybe they did not understand the rules the same way. Mayor Brodell responded saying they were not reading the rules the same way, but he was hopeful that after this week they would all be on the same page.
Christian Creek Project - It was explained there had been erosion problems before the flooding on May 18th and 19th, with a recurring erosion problem at a house at the intersection of College and Christian Creek. The Street Department was asked to look at it, and discovered a pipe had collapsed, so the decision was made to replace it with rip-rap. For unknown reasons rip-rap was installed on Christian Creek from College to Nettleton causing the water flow to increase in the middle of the ditch without the lower end of the ditch being cleaned out. The Street Department was then asked to clean out the lower end, but instead they cleaned out the bottom and sides causing erosion all the way down the ditch. Councilman Farmer reported the cost to rip-rap from GE back up to Woodsprings would cost ¼ million dollars, not including the fabric that goes under the rip-rap. He recommended due to the lack of funds and so many erosion problems the best we can do is piece-mill each situation as they arise until the 2004 budget. Mayor Brodell recommended “biting the bullet” and getting it done. Councilman Farmer explained to do that would have an affect on the budget. Mayor Brodell agreed it would affect the budget but it had to be done. Councilman Farmer asked that the fabric that goes under the rip-rap be considered because it should reduce the on going maintenance of the ditches.
MPO Status: Councilman Street reported there would be a meeting in the Mayor’s Conference Room at 10:00 p.m. on August 12, 2003.
N. Bridge: It was explained that development at both ends of the alley way has boxed in the drainage and they were looking at possible solutions.
With no further business Councilman Street moved, seconded by Councilman Dover to adjourn. All voted aye.